Nanoscience & Nanotechnology-Asia - Volume 14, Issue 2, 2024

Silver and silver salts have been used since the beginning of civilization, but silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have just recently been discovered. They have been employed as antioxidants and antibacterial, antifungal, and potential anticáncer agents in agriculture and medicine. Many bacteria, including Bacilluscereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter koseri, Salmonella typhii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and the fungus Candida albicans, were shown to be inhibited in their growth and multiplication by binding Ag/Ag+ to biomolecules that are present in microbial cells. Ag NPs are thought to create reactive oxygen species and free radicals, which cause apoptosis, cell death, and hinder cell reproduction. Ag NPs diffuse in side cells and break because they are smaller than bacteria. The researchers have developed numerous methods of their synthesis. The present review focused on the latest evidence related to silver nanoparticles, several methods of preparations, along with examples listed in the literature.

Background: Silent onset and metastasis in tissues make cancer the most devastating illness globally. Monitoring the growth of the tumour and delivering drugs to specific tissues are some of the major issues associated with treatment. However, with an improved understanding of tumour microenvironments and advancements in nanocarriers of drugs, novel nano-targeting pathways that can be utilised by nanocarriers have been developed. Carbon Dots, with their tiny size and outstanding physicochemical features, are an emerging category of carbon nanostructures that have attracted a lot of curiosity. Objective: Multitudinous attempts and extensive studies have been undertaken by many researchers regarding the synthesis of Carbon Dots and their applications in various fields. These studies have explained that the synthesised Carbon Dots have versatile surface functionalities, high luminescence, and excellent biocompatibility. This article focuses on recent developments in synthesis approaches, carbon precursors used, and applications of Carbon Dots, specifically within the biomedical field, with a particular focus on cancer. Results: Carbon dots synthesised from a variety of precursors can act as prominent candidates for bioimaging and drug carriers and are used in cancer phototherapy. In this article, Carbon Dots are summarised based on their bright luminescent properties, distinct structure, drug loading capacity, and near-infrared (NIR) emission. Conclusion: Carbon dots, employed as tumour theranostics, can serve as an alternative to synthetic fluorescent dyes. They fulfil the role of bioimaging agents and facilitate the precise delivery of drugs to cancer cells. Additionally, they exhibit excellence as phototherapeutic agents, featuring high nearinfrared (NIR) emission and minimal side effects.

Since the last few years, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been attracting attention from scientific sororities. MOFs are novel porous materials with robust architectures that demonstrate a multitude of applications in theranostics. Interestingly, it shows adaptable porosity, versatile chemical configuration, tunable size and shape, tailorable surface functionalization, etc. MOFs have a very porous network space that makes it possible to efficiently pack drug payloads and different imaging markers. Nano-MOFs (NMOFs) are additionally biodegradable in nature due to the metalligand linkages and their greater labile-ness. The present review article provides insights into the fabrication of MOFs, especially different synthesis methodologies, along with merits and limitations. A thorough description of several characterization techniques of MOFs and underlying principles have also been depicted. Moreover, the role of MOFs as a promising nanocarrier for small molecules/ active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and biomolecule delivery has been deliberated along with their theranostic potential. In a nutshell, this review offers the most recent advancements in NMOFs for use in drug delivery applications. In line with this, MOF stands out as a versatile carriers compared to other nanomaterials due to the multitude of uses it has in drug delivery and theragnostic, emanating high hopes for its future clinical application.

Background: In Indian traditional medicine, the seeds and bark of Wrightia tinctoria are utilized as remedies for antidiarrheal and antidysenteric purposes, as well as for other medicinal uses. Aim: The primary aim of the study was to explore the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles by employing an extract obtained from the Wrightia tinctoria plant and to explore their potential medicinal properties. Objective: This study involved the characterization of the nanoparticles in terms of their properties and quality, as well as an investigation of their potential anti-bacterial, anticancer, and antiinflammatory properties. Methods: Various characterization techniques, including UV spectroscopy, XRD spectra, FTIR, SEM, particle size and zeta potential analysis, were used in this study for the synthesized nanoparticles. Our study investigated the impact of concentration, pH, and incubation time on nanoparticle synthesis, providing a comprehensive description of the synthesis procedure for both silver and gold nanoparticles. Result: Experimental findings confirmed that silver and gold nanoparticles derived from Wrightia tinctoria exhibited irregular shape, with an average diameter ranging from approximately 0.08 to 0.34 μm and 0.09 to 0.30 μm, respectively. Appreciably, the biologically synthesized WTAgNPs and WTAuNPs demonstrated promising antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties without any signs of toxicity. The enhanced biological activity of WTAgNPs and WTAuNPs can be attributed to their distinctive properties at the nanoscale, as both exhibit lower polydispersity and average particle size, contributing to increased reactivity and interactions with biological systems. Conclusion: The nanoparticles synthesized through the biogenic approach using Wrightia tinctoria extract have immense potential for a wide range of pharmaceutical applications.

Infectious diseases caused by different pathogens are responsible for high mortality across the globe. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) of microorganisms towards different antibiotics has posed a great challenge in treating infectious diseases efficiently. The metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs) have demonstrated great promise in treating infectious diseases because of their inherent antimicrobial potential. Besides, these NPs show site-specific delivery of antibiotic therapeutics, thereby minimizing dose, dose frequency, and side effects. Further, the synergistic effect of MNPs with an antibiotic can reduce the MDR. However, the fabrication of MNPs using an apt fabrication technique with proper control of charge, size, and morphology is highly required to achieve better therapeutic performance. This review focuses on MNPs as a potential avenue to treat infectious diseases. The role of MNPs in combating MDR, different sorts of MNPs, and their fabrication techniques are discussed. Furthermore, assorted types of MNPs employed in antibiotic delivery to treat infectious diseases are discussed with manifold case studies. In short, MNPs alone or as a carrier of antibiotics seems to be an effective strategy in wiping out infectious diseases.

Introduction: According to our research, liposomes loaded with imatinib mesylate were formulated using a rotary evaporator and the thin film hydration method. FTIR, DSC, and XRD studies were carried out to ensure that the drug excipients in the final formulation were compatible. Method: The improved liposome batch (F7) was tested for particle size (353.9 nm), zeta potential (-46.0 mV), drug release (92.8%), and entrapment efficiency (94.29%) after 72 hours. Studies using TEM have shown that imatinib mesylate-loaded liposomes have a spherical form. Result: Finally, in-vitro anticancer activity was assessed through the MTT assay, which revealed an IC50 value of 0.2959μg mL-1 for treating Human leukaemia monocytic cell lines. Conclusion: The process was refined based on data concerning the rotary evaporator speed, solvent system ratio and volume, hydration media pH, manufacturing yield, entrapment efficiency, in-vitro release, and improved in vitro anti-cancer activity.

Aims: The current study aims to create a formulation of Fluvastatin sodium (FVS) loaded niosome for the treatment of antihyperlipidemia using thin film hydration. The developed formulations were statistically optimized by two factors, three levels by 3-level factorial design and were evaluated for vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, and in-vitro drug release. Methods: The optimized FVS niosome being transformed to gel formulation was likewise analyzed for in-vitro skin permeability study, lipase action, and stability study. Results: The composition of an improved FVS niosome revealed vesicle size, entrapment effectiveness, zeta potential of 105.3 ± 12.4nm, 74.5 ± 0.86% and -36.2 ± 7mV, respectively, with spherical morphology. Conclusion: The FVS Niosomal gel demonstrated improved skin permeation compared to Orlistat. Furthermore, lipase activity showed better activity when compared with standard Orlistat drugs. Niosomal particles were discovered as a reliable nanovesicular carrier for the transdermal administration of FVS.